BIG THANK YOU TO THE SCOTTISH TRADE UNION MOVEMENT

On behalf of my colleague Catherine Stihler MEPs and the rest of the Scottish Labour team of European candidates in the European Parliamentary Elections I would like to say a big thank you to all the trades unions who individually and collectively assisted us with our campaign. Without your help, in a bad year for Labour, we could not have retained our two Scottish seats, fought off the challenge from the SNP and insured that no BNP candidate was elected in Scotland.  All those on the campaign were truly impressed with what can be achieved when the Labour movement works together. All UK Labour MEPs are now part of a new grouping in the European Parliament made up of an alliance of Socialists and Democrats (SD). We are the second largest group.

SOCIALISTS AND DEMOCRATS UNHAPPY WITH A BOROSO SECOND TERM

The European Parliamentary Labour Party (EPLP) are unhappy with the possibility of European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso being given a second five year term without hearing some concrete proposals from him on the European Social Agenda. The EPLP  want action to create employment, new and better jobs, to fight mass unemployment – especially youth unemployment – promote equal pay and improve workers’ rights and working conditions. A review of the posted workers directive is essential. The SD group set out our agenda with 11 key demands for a New Direction for Europe including a European Employment Pact (along the lines of the ETUC’s call for a Social progress Clause) and a Charter of Women’s Rights.

The Socialist and Democrats 11 key demands can be found by going to: http://www.socialistgroup.eu/gpes/public/detail.htm?id=132804&section=NER&category=NEWS&startpos=0&topicid=-1&request_locale=EN

EUROPEAN TORIES SHIFT FURTHER TO EXTREME RIGHT

If you really want to know what a Cameron government in the UK would look like you can get some idea by observing the British Tories in the European Parliament. Following the European Elections Cameron delivered on his promise and took the UK Conservative members of the European Parliament out of the mainstream centre-right grouping and formed an extremist alliance known as the European Conservatives & Reform Group (ECR).  The UK Tories main partner is the Polish PiS Party – a Party condemned as homophobic after they banned gay rights marches in Poland.  Because of agreements made by the ‘nice’ Mr Cameron this new extremist alliance has ended up with the leader of the group being Michal Kaminski of the PiS.  Polish newspapers have reported that Kaminski was part of a group that tried to prevent the Polish President from apologising for the massacre of hundreds on Jews in Poland in July 1941. Kaminski is widely regarded as anti-semitic. Jewish leaders throughout Europe condemned the new alliance as has a senior Tory MEP, Edward McMillan-Scott. Mr Cameron’s reaction?  He sacked McMillan-Scott!

TORY MEPs ATTACK UK NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE

Just to confirm the fact that Cameron’s New Model Army are a sounding board for the policies a Cameron Tory Government would introduce in the UK,  two of his MEPs in Brussels have attacked the NHS.  Daniel Hannan MEP has continued his attacks made in the USA and has been joined by his Tory colleague Roger Helmer MEP.  While the country was outraged, what did David Cameron do?  Nothing, he refused to fire Hannan or Helmer and excused them as ‘eccentric’. It says all we need to know about the new ‘tolerant’ Conservatives that they are happy to form a partnership with homophobes, allow two of their MEPs to call for an end to the NHS, and yet expel an MEP who questions whether it is right that they should be partners with Polish extremists.

SOCIALISTS & DEMOCRATS CALL FOR SOCIAL PROGRESS PACT

The SD Group want a new social progress class in EU primary law which will make it clear that neither economic freedoms, nor competition rules take priority over fundamental social rights including the right of association.

DAVID MARTIN MEP (Scotland) Midlothian Innovation Centre, Pentlandfield, Roslin EH25  9RE david@martinmep.com   www.martinmep.com